Various components are secured together to form portions of an aircraft. For example, wings are secured to a fuselage. Each wing may include one or more stringers that are secured to a body that forms part of, and/or otherwise connects to, the fuselage. In order to secure components, such as stringers, to other components, such as body portions, numerous fasteners are used.
At certain portions of the aircraft, components may be secured to other components in areas in which fluid is to flow. For example, a stringer that forms a portion of a wing may secure to a body portion within a fuel delivery chamber, tank, or the like. As such, the fasteners that secure the components together are sealed to protect against electrical discharge in proximity to fuel.
The process of sealing the various fasteners is typically labor and time intensive. For example, the process of sealing fasteners that connect a lower panel stringer to a body joint is often arduous and time-consuming. In general, multiple sealing interfaces configured to contain fuel and protect against electrical discharge (for example lighting strikes) occupy a limited amount of space at an area in which the stringer connects to the body joint. Typically, individual seal caps and fillets are manually secured to the fasteners and components. As such, highly-skilled laborers are needed to perform the long, arduous task of individually sealing the connections, and ensuring that the sealing interfaces satisfy various safety standards. For example, each sealing cap is fit-checked, cleaned, filled with wet sealant, and installed over each fastener. After the sealing caps are properly secured to the fasteners, the sealing interface is checked to determine if excess sealant has escaped from the sealing cap. Any excess sealant may be smoothed and/or removed based on one or more safety standards. The entire process of properly sealing connection joints and confirming proper seal integrity is time-consuming and typically evaluated under subjective criteria.